Artificial organs pancreas

Artificial organs that perform the physical and biochemical functions of the heart, hver, pancreas, or lung are one class of organ replacements. A rather different target of opportunity is the development of biologieal materials that play a more passive role in the body for example,... 

Figure 11. Scheme of a bioartificial pancreas surrounded by a hydrogel membrane [266], Some methods used for artificial organs design are presented in table 17. 

This chapter will review current activities and proposed research related to the development of artificial organs and organ-assist devices. While we will focus on the human liver, the discussion is applicable to other organs. The pancreas and the endocrine functions of the kidney follow the same basic path — the culturing of cells on a scaffold. The cells, of course, must function as they do in a natural uncompromised slate while the scaffold provides a permanent or temporary template on which the cells attach and proliferate. 

A microcapsule is a minature membrane system in which the combination of high permeability and large surface area can confer some unusual properties and have made microcapsules of interest for drug release systems and for some artificial organs. Hundreds of different materials have been enclosed within microcapsules for both biomedical and non-medical use. The classic non-medical example would be the carbonless "carbon" papers which are in wide use today. Medically, microcapsules have been used to enclose various enzymes, such as catalase or L-asparaginase (which can be used to treat some forms of cancer), and have been shown to maintain the enzymatic activity for prolonged time periods. Microcapsules have been utilized as artificial cells to enclose the beta-cells from the Islets of Langerhans, and such a system can function as a source of insulin (artificial pancreas). i Other research has centered on the use of such devices for artificial red blood cells. ... 

On the commercial front, an artificial liver system has reached advanced clinical trial stage. Based on pig hep-atocytes immobilized in a hollow-fiber membrane module, this system provides temporary life support until a liver from a human donor is available for transplantation (Fig. 50). Also under development is an artificial pancreas intended as a permanent replacement of the native organ (Fig. 51). 

Bio-Artificial Pancreas. Application of the Ultrafiltration-Based Model to Its Design. Proceedings of the European Soc. of Artif. intern. Organs, pp. 49-52 (1983). 

The area of artificial Internal organs includes the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to the obvious requirements of blood and tissue compatibility, these replacements often have highly specialized functions which are almost impossible to duplicate with man-made materials. Nevertheless, it is often necessary to augment or replace the function of these organs. 

Bioengineering aspects of tbe artificial pancreas. Artif Organs 2 305-309... 

Bessman, S.P. and Schultz, R.D. Prototype glucose-oxygen sensor for the artificial pancreas. Trans. Am. Soc. Artificial Internal Organs, 19 361, 1973. 

This chapter will review recent advances in cell encapsulation from material science, technological and tissue-related perspectives. Cell coating, microencapsulation devices and bioartificial organs will be discussed with the artificial pancreas and treatment of diabetes used as a case study denominator throughout the review. 

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